IMPORTANCE OF AGRARIAN REFORM TO THE PHILIPPINE DEVELOPMENT

AND ITS EFFECT TO THE PEOPLE

A Descriptive Academic Paper
Presented to the Faculty of the
SOCIAL SCIENCES,
UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES
TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Ermita Manila

In Fulfillment of the Requirements for

Reading in Philippine History
Abstract

For almost a century, the problem of land ownership and control of resources continue to
be an issue in the Philippines between the well-off landlords and the unfortunate and landless
farmworkers. Agrarian Reform is the modification of the whole structure of agriculture. Agrarian
reform can include credit measures, training, extension and land consolidations. An effective
agrarian reform is a precursor to successful economies where there are evident agricultural
improvements and growth in income which leads to Philippines’ economic development. This
academic research answers the questions of what agrarian reform and its effects in the
Philippines’ development is and to the people. Many farmers who were granted lands under the
Philippines’ agrarian reform program have been waiting for decades for their individual titles.
This research found out that an agrarian reform has numerous effects to rural economy with
regards to agricultural productivity, reducing poverty, income and form of living, employment,
investment and formation capital, and impartiality in rural population. Higher income of farmer-
beneficiaries, higher yields brought about by increased inputs and investments on land, an
efficient allocation of funds, land valuation system, improving access to infrastructure and other
services are the recommendations that is necessary for the development of the Philippines.

Introduction

What is Agrarian Reform and what its effect to the Philippine Development and to the
people? Is it important for us to understand the agrarian reform program? Agrarian reform can
refer either to government-initiated or government-backed redistribution of agricultural land or
to an overall redirection of the agrarian system of the country, which often includes land reform
measures. This reform in the Philippines is not an easy task and action to be discussed because of
the many issues that still not resolve up until now. The current Philippine president Rodrigo
Duterte called the agrarian reform implementation a ‘farce’ and a ‘total failure’ during his
election campaign.

Research Question

1. What is agrarian reform?

2. What are the effects of Agrarian Reform in the Philippines’ development and its people?
 This reform has been justified for two main reasons. The first reason is to introduce greater
efficiency in agricultural production in terms of land size, the smaller the farms due to agrarian
reform, the more productive it will be. An argument support this finding that family labour has
greater productivity than hired labour in smaller farms. Second will be the attempts have been
made to categorize different types of agrarian and land reforms, more often than not concurring
to their more extensive political and financial bury.

The historical development of the Agrarian Reform Program of the Philippines has
suffered dramatic changes in the post-independence era. Changes happened in agriculture where
from traditional to technologically modern and from modern to highly capital and resource-
intensive sector. Nevertheless, the agricultural sector in Philippines continues to have low
productivity relative to developing countries, as measured in terms of the value of total output
per worker. With regards to labour efficiency in other sectors, the agricultural sector in the
Philippines continues to be the lowest. Not only has the agricultural sector contributed minimally
to the food security of the country, but also the poverty in the country is still remain unsolved.

Discussion

Last year’s issue is still about the farmer’s blood and sweat to our country that they are
still struggling about the injustices in the Philippines. We all know that they are receiving less
compensation compared to other workers that there’s not much contribution in the Philippine
development. They are the ones who struggle the most when it comes to Philippines’ agrarian
reform. They sell their produces at unequal price compared to their labor. They were the one who
received the less support and protection to the government. In 2018, a group of farmers from
Negros Occidental gathered in front of the gates of the Department of Agrarian Reform only for
them to be turned away by the security guard.

An agrarian reform has a huge effect to country’s rural economy in terms of agricultural
productivity, poverty reduction, income and living standards of the people, their employment,
investment and capital formation. For the agricultural productivity, agrarian reform may
diminish the rural efficiency on the off chance that collectivization and arrive fracture are
presented. In any case, efficiency may be improved by the utilize of unused inputs and
innovation within the rural handle. With regards to poverty, agrarian reform can help to lessen
the extent of poverty and also have a progress the real per capital income of workers in rural
area. This said reform measures increase in the productivity and thus results to rise in salary of
rural farmers which can help in their everyday living. When it comes to the employment,
agrarian reform measures result in n way better work. In some cases, however, the presentation
of a modern innovation may bring approximately uprooting of labor. Lastly will be the agrarian
reform effects to the investments and capital formation in the country, this can help alter the
labor-capital proportion that's required for any financial advancement.

I wonder when will the issue on the agrarian reform will be solved and also when will the
farmers who contributed a lot in the country’s produces get what they deserved. This academic
research broadens my knowledge on what’s happening in the country and why is it important to
have an information on agrarian reform. This also made us think that not only the farmers are
affected on the status of our agrarian reform right now but also other people and their business
because of its effect to the economy of the Philippines. This study helped us understand why
poverty is more active in many rural areas. The government has not been able to tap the full
potential of agrarian reform movement to push for quicker and more meaningful agrarian reform.

Conclusion

It is troublesome to characterize victory or disappointment of an agrarian reform in the

Philippines. This research also found out that the smaller the farms due to agrarian reform, the
more productive it will be. Agrarian reform measures increment within the efficiency and hence
comes about to rise in income of rural agriculturists which is able in turn move forward the
living standard of country individuals. We conclude in line with Cox et al. (2003), that also in the
Philippines the usage of agrarian reform experiences numerous basic limitations such as
moderate bureaucracy, need of bolster administrations and landowning classes with the political
and regulatory associations to ensure their vested interface driving to insufficient usage of the
change laws. However, we are still hoping for the improvements of the agrarian reform in the
Philippines in the near future.
Recommendation

Upon knowing all the information regarding the agrarian reform of the Philippines, the
recommendations are listed below on this academic research:

 Higher Income of Farmer-Beneficiaries

 Higher Yields Brought about by Increased Inputs and Investments on Land
 Efficient Allocation of Funds
 Land Valuation System
 Improving Access to Infrastructure and Other Services

References

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